Cleveland Brown favors gentle words, and few words at that. He likes yellow T-shirts and baths. He is also fiercely proud of his African-American heritage, as evidenced by his ''Two Decades of Dignity'' board game and that nice talk he had with a racist cop about how a black bowling ball might feel when surrounded by white pins. It's a good thing, too, because Cleveland Brown is shaping up as network television's great black hope for the 2008-09 season — he's the only minority character anchoring a new series on the Big Five networks. Granted, his Family Guy spin-off, The Cleveland Show, didn't even make it onto the fall schedule (it's slated for midseason). Yes, Cleveland himself is merely a figment of animation. And true, the person who provides his voice, Mike Henry, is actually white. But hey, it's a start, right?
These days, the networks need to ensure that even their cartoons of color count. After a period of making a public effort to focus on diversity in their casting — kick started by an NAACP outcry over the white TV landscape in 1999 — the networks have clearly started to lose that focus, and not just when it comes to African-Americans. Today the current prime-time lineup, including fall's 14 new scripted shows, is looking alarmingly pale. According to an Entertainment Weekly study of scripted-programming casts for the upcoming fall 2008 season, each of the five major broadcast networks is whiter than the Caucasian percentage (66.2 percent) of the United States population, as per the 2007 census estimate. And all of the networks are representing considerably lower than the Latino population percentage of 15.2 percent, with The CW — whose only lead Latina star, JoAnna Garcia, will be playing a white character named Megan Smith on Surviving the Filthy Rich — registering just 3.8 percent. After the quiet and unceremonious departure this winter of eight-season hit Girlfriends (the No. 15 show in all prime time among African-American audiences), The CW's black comedy block (inherited from predecessor UPN) has shrunk to just two sitcoms: critical darling Everybody Hates Chris (No. 29 among African-Americans) and The Game (No. 7 among African-Americans), which have both been relegated to the dead zone known as Friday nights this fall. And with very few exceptions (like black actress Niecy Nash, who costars with Jerry O'Connell in Fox's hotel sitcom Do Not Disturb), spring's annual presentation of the new lineups looked largely like a parade of Caucasian stars. When CBS, for example, introduced the main actors from their new series to the advertising community in May, it went something like this: Kyle Bornheimer — white. Simon Baker — white. Jay Mohr — white. Rufus Sewell — white. Elizabeth Reaser — white.
The NAACP has taken notice: It will release a new study later this month titled ''Out of Focus, Out of Sync — Take 4,'' which calls for diversity not only on screen but also behind the scenes, where decisions are made and story lines are hatched. ''1 out of every 3 persons in the United States is a minority,'' reads the report...

Whites are more vocal and they are letter writers. When they like, they write. When they dont like, they write. The networks know exactly what they are thinking.

The people of color need to put themselves in the game to win the game. We dont support one another. When Chinese newscaster Katie Tung, got fired, the Chinese community DEMANDED she be hired back. She was. When Judge Maybeline got fired, blacks were nowhere to be found. Even after Maybeline pleaded with her viewers, telling black folks she was fired because the network said it took too long to do her hair. There was little outrage. No campaigning on her behalf, no demanding she be returned. Black folks did nothing. As long as we continue to do nothing, not even pick up a pen, we will see the continued paling down of the networks. You want color TV, demand it.

Combined, America's people of color are the majority. Its time we let white folks know that. After all, in the end, all whites care about is the color green.

Whites are more vocal and they are letter writers. When they like, they write. When they dont like, they write. The networks know exactly what they are thinking.

The people of color need to put themselves in the game to win the game. We dont support one another. When Chinese newscaster Katie Tung, got fired, the Chinese community DEMANDED she be hired back. She was. When Judge Maybeline got fired, blacks were nowhere to be found. Even after Maybeline pleaded with her viewers, telling black folks she was fired because the network said it took too long to do her hair. There was little outrage. No campaigning on her behalf, no demanding she be returned. Black folks did nothing. As long as we continue to do nothing, not even pick up a pen, we will see the continued paling down of the networks. You want color TV, demand it.

Combined, America's people of color are the majority. Its time we let white folks know that. After all, in the end, all whites care about is the color green.

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those whites that i have known care about a lot more than green.
they care about and enforce white supremacy.

am i to judge by your flat out condemnation of black people in this case that you are on the side of the white supremacists?

those whites that i have known care about a lot more than green.
they care about and enforce white supremacy.

am i to judge by your flat out condemnation of black people in this case that you are on the side of the white supremacists?

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... <sigh> now there you go again, james. she didn't "flat out condemn" folks, she stated a known truth: "the squeaky wheel gets the grease". and we don't seem to "squeak" hard enough about the "right" things, in the "right" place. ... ok, go "concrete thinking" on me and "complain" about "squeaking" ...

and you complain that people don't respect you; that people "insult" you? what is this? oh, right: jamesfrmphilly says "it's just the truth" .... again ... i'd like to refer you back to the ABW thread where you referred to the perspective of that thread as "silly" ...

why you gotta insult this woman's offering by asking to judge if she is on the side of your personal sticking point? can you never see anything in terms other than that supreme lunacy crap that you keep tossing in our face? duh! we know it's there and we'd just as soon you let us get on with discussing something, anything without bringing it up again ...

"the city of brotherly love", eh? i've always shuddered whenever i ever heard anyone say that because the evidence always seems to point to something entirely different!!

... <sigh> now there you go again, james. she didn't "flat out condemn" folks, she stated a known truth: "the squeaky wheel gets the grease". and we don't seem to "squeak" hard enough about the "right" things, in the "right" place. ... ok, go "concrete thinking" on me and "complain" about "squeaking" ...

and you complain that people don't respect you; that people "insult" you? what is this? oh, right: jamesfrmphilly says "it's just the truth" .... again ... i'd like to refer you back to the ABW thread where you referred to the perspective of that thread as "silly" ...

why you gotta insult this woman's offering by asking to judge if she is on the side of your personal sticking point? can you never see anything in terms other than that supreme lunacy crap that you keep tossing in our face? duh! we know it's there and we'd just as soon you let us get on with discussing something, anything without bringing it up again ...

"the city of brotherly love", eh? i've always shuddered whenever i ever heard anyone say that because the evidence always seems to point to something entirely different!!

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rather than doing a running critique of whatever i post why don't you say say what you are for?

I actually think Writ and James make excellent points. While we do need to voice our opinions more, there's only so much that voice can do, when it's falling on deaf ears. I mean there's a couple of "black shows" that I watch. Everybody Hates Chris comes to mind, but I haven't even watched that in over a year. Girlfriends is okay every now and then, but it's definitely not something that I pencil in every week. It might be that some of these shows aren't really worth fighting for. The last "black" sitcom that I really enjoyed was "My Wife and Kids" and even when it was doing good, they made sure to schedule it at the same time as the "Bernie Mac Show."

Ah, James I met you before, always ready to put your negative spin on other people's comments, and as you demonstrated before, your responses once again are off in left field and extreme.

If you think Black people are so perfect without room for improvement than you are not living in reality. I dont think most black folks are so weak that they cant hear constructive criticism. Its what helps us to evolve ourselves.

So, yes, we need to stand up more than we do. We need to work together and stop being crabs in a barrel, ready to pull each other down for the slightest infraction. Your comment is a fine example of what I am referring to.

If those who are on edge, always in wait to insinuate their own thought processes on others, ever bothered to look within, they would see that their consternation is more about whats lacking in themselves than it is about the person they attack. In fact, its all about themselves. People that attack generally reveal more about their injured ego and insecure psyche to others than they realize.

Better to take action than to lie dormant. Even if we dont win all the time, motion is always better than inertia. Yes, black people need to support one another more and we need to stop operating emotionally but instead act more strategically. There is always something we can do to aid another, even if its as simple as picking up a pen to show support.

But anyway, James, I was told you are an elderly gentleman and enjoy being a spider on the web so I will take your fallacious comment for what it is and not give it any import. Instead, I will adopt an ebuillient spirit toward your meanderings and simply show you the deference your age demands, even if it goes unappreciated.

Wise people know when to listen to all opinions so that they can expand their own. Instead of adopting a defeatist attitude we should step up and DEMAND what we want. You want more people of color on TV. Demand it!

WE don't own the electrical grids or the technology that sustains these mediums. WE don't hold the patents for a single industrialized foundational corporation, that has laid the groundwork for westernized modern day capitalism, even though a brief look at the history of Black Inventors would draw sharp contrast to white claims.

He!! WE can't even claim 'ownership' in the GranDaddy of 'Hollywood'---BroadWay (or the 'great' white-way,) responsible for modern day theatrics.

And why would this be important? Well, Broadway in MY view, is not. But each and every single ill that the members of OUR Community suffer (count'm off....by the number's, Sean Bell, The 82yr old GrandMother in Atl., drugs, gangs, societal apathy,) is a direct effect of the 'claims' that white folk have made and continue to benefit from today.

YOU don't see this kinda crap in their community, not because it doesn't happen in; the 'mob,' he!!s angels, timothy mcvey, etc. But because 'they' dictate what materials are shown in the media and to what end.

The 'benefits' of ownership and at the same time, the very epicenter of institutionalized racism.

Racism started as an 'industry,' one of the quells of capitalism, a 'corner-stone' of white desire, white determination, white purpose and whether WE like it or not, it continues to enjoy the residual reverberations of white intentions as a direct consequence of the predatory signatures of capitalism and institutionalized racism to this very day.

I'm thinking it is rather naive to comment that we are not represented on TV because we don't write enough letters, and even more shortsighted to imply that we are not achieving success on TV because we are too complacent and/or not tackling the problem like white people do.. hehehe.

Ah, James I met you before, always ready to put your negative spin on other people's comments, and as you demonstrated before, your responses once again are off in left field and extreme.

If you think Black people are so perfect without room for improvement than you are not living in reality. I dont think most black folks are so weak that they cant hear constructive criticism. Its what helps us to evolve ourselves.

So, yes, we need to stand up more than we do. We need to work together and stop being crabs in a barrel, ready to pull each other down for the slightest infraction. Your comment is a fine example of what I am referring to.

If those who are on edge, always in wait to insinuate their own thought processes on others, ever bothered to look within, they would see that their consternation is more about whats lacking in themselves than it is about the person they attack. In fact, its all about themselves. People that attack generally reveal more about their injured ego and insecure psyche to others than they realize.

Better to take action than to lie dormant. Even if we dont win all the time, motion is always better than inertia. Yes, black people need to support one another more and we need to stop operating emotionally but instead act more strategically. There is always something we can do to aid another, even if its as simple as picking up a pen to show support.

But anyway, James, I was told you are an elderly gentleman and enjoy being a spider on the web so I will take your fallacious comment for what it is and not give it any import. Instead, I will adopt an ebuillient spirit toward your meanderings and simply show you the deference your age demands, even if it goes unappreciated.

Wise people know when to listen to all opinions so that they can expand their own. Instead of adopting a defeatist attitude we should step up and DEMAND what we want. You want more people of color on TV. Demand it!

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i do notice that rather than a logical rebuttal of my statements i get some passive aggressive emotional attack. with some ageism thrown in for good measure.
you made the comment that black people were at fault because they did not write letters. you excluded white supremacy from the equation thus giving whites a free pass.

this is the standard neo con line: "white people have no agenda, it is all you negroes own fault"

if white people have no agenda and are strictly interested in money, i.e. the meritocracy, we would see a substantially different social order than we do today.

white supremacy is certainly active in the media. a few letters will not change that fact.

that you cannot see the effects of white supremacy speaks about you not me.